South Africa’s continued inaction on Zimbabwe is a disgrace. Mbeki’s “quiet diplomacy” is merely a euphemism for his cowardly indifference. He continues to turn a blind eye while the Mugabe regime systematically rages war on its people, avenging them for daring to exercise their democratic will at the ballot box.
“No crisis.” Yes, that is what Zanu-PF’s continued stranglehold on Zimbabwe amounts to for our president. It’s no crisis that an election is being held hostage; that the result has been ignored; and that there’s a farcical — and illegal — partial ballot recount.
Under the iron grip of its murderous dictator, Zimbabwe, a once-prosperous nation, has slid slowly towards the abyss. Millions are starving. The army and bureaucracy are in shambles. Lively informal settlements have become flattened moonscapes. The political opposition is quashed. Ordinary people are mercilessly persecuted. There is near-total press censorship, illegal farm expropriation and exponential inflation.
Silence about this criminal autocracy equates to a tacit approval of it. Thus, our president is complicit in the Zimbabwean catastrophe. South Africa, as Africa’s economic and military powerhouse, has been in the unique position of being able to pressurise Zimbabwe into reforming, yet Mbeki has done nothing. He has passively watched our beleaguered neighbour and the way its citizenry, both black and white, have been — and continue to be — shockingly abused in ways that bear a palpable resemblance to the sufferings of blacks during South Africa’s apartheid.
The two presidents may share a history of resistance against the subjugation of the majority. They may also share a few character traits. But this is no excuse for Mbeki to regard the friendship and approval of a megalomaniac comrade such as Mugabe as more important than the democratic votes, the fundamental rights and — most importantly — the lives of millions of Zimbabweans.
Had Mbeki and the South African government stepped in several years ago, Zimbabwe wouldn’t be imploding into the tragic mess of chaos and unimaginable suffering that it is now. Countless lives would have been saved and the economy would have remained intact. The Zimbabwean tragedy could have been avoided. It could have been avoided if South Africa, led by its president, had acted on its moral obligation — as a young democracy and a close neighbour — to champion democracy and uphold human rights.
It is only too clear that President Mbeki has blood on his hands. His chilling silence and continued attempts to give this tragedy a veneer of legitimacy means he may never be able to wash it off.
I reckon that Mr Mugabe has committed an act of terrorism against South Africa just as surely as if he’d sent a suicide rickshaw loaded with home brew to crash into the Union Buildings (although this would be welcomed by some). The Mugabe terrorism is to force one million desperate people into SA to take jobs and sadly commit crime.
Master Mbeki should consider this as he fiddles on
After Obama wins, he’ll publically recognize the americans’ sins. As a compensation, he’ll send all afroamericans to save Africa. Then, after all south africans start singing Gospels, chinese will stick to Congo/Sudan and the world will be great again.
Mbeki has used every opportunity for the past 8 years to assist Mugabe. Using the SA Ministry of Foreign to protect Mugabe by lobbying motions of “no debate” on human rights abuses at the United nations and providing platforms for Mugabe to insult Britain and the USA (al the Wold Conference on Sustainable development – as if Mugabe knows anything about sustainable development!!). If Mbeki says he is a mediator, why does he not hold hands in public with Tsvangirai?.
The timing of the “no crisis” statement is perfect for Mugabe and zanupf because the gullible idiots in africa and the west are blinded by the total military onslaught currently being exacted on the population of Zimbabwe for daring to vote for the opposition.
SADC must also shoulder some of the blame because they have imposed a known zanupf sypathiser on the Zimbabwe and called him a mediator.
If anyone is in any doubt about how Zimbabweans feel at this time, be aware that the word Mbeki is now a swear word.
The sad result is that Mbeki’s disgusting behaviour is engendering a feeling that South Africans don’t care. This is reflected in the way South Africans, especially the police, are treating the poor desperate souls who are escaping south. One thing is certain, Zimbabweans as a nation may forgive, but they will never forget the intolerance and the way they have been disrespected by the so-called authorities in South Africa in their hour of need.
Perhaps we should declare a moratorium on all Zimbabwe discussion.It’s such a looney-toon situation that it almost drags us, as more or less sensible people, into its own infantile nonsense just by discussing it seriously. I mean, who can even caricature Zimbabwe, Robert Mugabage, their inflation rate, or anything else about them for that matter? As for President Mbeki, well… Even Zapiro’s cartoons are now understatement, poor man.
TJ Ruthenberg
Todd Kidd
If whites should return to Europe and leave Africa to the blacks – then is the reverse not also fair? Should black Americans, like you, not also return to Africa – preferably to live in Zimbabwe or Sudan? Give America back to the Indians.
Greg
If the white settlers had not arrived about a century ago there would have been no Shona for the land to be redistributed to – the Matabele were destroying them in battle. This was before the Shona had AK 47s given to them.
Peter
Apartheid did not end because SA was bankrupt, but for a number of factors – with a lot of help from “our friends”. The hero in that story was De Klerk, which is why he got a Nobel Prize. Tell me any other leader in Africa who gave up power voluntarily, other than Mandela?
We should all be doing something with the leadership of the government PERIOD!!!!